Project Phantom (Aria Finale)
by CrystalMoonlightII
Summary: Reiji and Cal reunite after two years apart, determined to find freedom together. However, even after the death of Scythe, McGuire continues to pull the strings from behind the scenes. Alas, the Phantoms have two choices, destroy Inferno for good, or keep on running. Meanwhile, a third Phantom, brought back from the brink, is out for revenge... (A reboot of Project Phantom!)
1. Time to Repent

**Phantom Requiem is one of my nearest and dearest things of all time in terms of storytelling and characterization. I've also played the limited Western release of the game, Phantom of Inferno, too.  
**

 **That said, over the years I've made many an attempt at Phantom stories. First came four oneshots, later merged into one story by name of Project Phantom. Now, after a very long of saying I'd do it, the story has had a reboot under its new alias, Aria Finale. It's one of my favorite works, to be honest, and I couldn't leave it without the attention it deserved.**

 **Three of the four original chapters have been partially re-written, largely restructured, and expanded with lots of new dialogue, some extra scenes, and new perspectives. It's a remaster and a reboot rolled into one, because the forth chapter, I'm Sorry I hurt you, has been scrapped, and will be completely remade from the ground up alongside new story ideas.**

 **Please enjoy!**

* * *

 **Time to Repent**

 _At the end of everything, Reiji Azuma held but a single dream. He dreamed of walking into the light - being free of torment and unshackled from pain. As fate would have it, he found his one and only chance of freedom in a young lady named Cal Devens. Now, as the final show approaches and the cast assemble, can he save his ray of hope before it's too late? The fate of them both will be decided on this very night._

How much weight could one human soul possibly bare? After the evils he partook in, all the sins he carried with him, did Reiji even have a soul anymore? He mourned the night of Cal's passing, blissfully unaware of the truth before him. With tear drenched eyes, he prayed for her, yet it seemed she was lost forever. Reiji had little choice to escape in the chaos, and was unable to look back.

As time moved forward and the days dragged on, he became numb again. He wasn't a person any longer, just a shadow of his former self. Nothing changed when he fled to Japan either. The emptiness pulling at his heart still remained. As every lonely night faded away, he could only blame himself more and more. The young lady he'd promised the world, was seemingly forever out of his reach. Two long years played out in painful stillness - almost like the Phantom was sleeping for the longest time.

That was until; he was woken from his dream. The sound a lone gunshot shattered everything he believed to be real in an instant. There, stood before him, was a ghost of the past. It took but a moment for everything to come rushing back. Cal was alive? Two years of longing, waiting, hoping, all came to an end in one faithful moment. However, Mister Azuma could not bring himself to smile.

Where there should have been happiness, there was nought but sorrow. Cal's hatred for the young man she once loved felt so deeply intense. The look in her eyes spelled nothing but anger and vicious resentment. Those green orbs of light which were once so bright overflowed with pain. It was from that point on that Reiji made a silent vow. He'd try and save Cal before it was too late. The great Phantom of Inferno would make one final attempt at atoning for his many sins.

* * *

It took two days to coax Cal out of hiding. Under no circumstances would Reiji let this opportunity pass him by. This was his last chance – he had to save her from the icy grip of Inferno - or this time, she'd truly be gone forever.

The darkness of night had long since overtaken Japan. Morning was such a very long way away. In church there was but single figure, stood at the altar, his back turned to the door. This would be the final proving ground, not for the second Phantom known as Zwei, but for the man behind it all. Reiji Azuma would stake everything to save his Ray of Light, or die trying.

His attention was suddenly caught by something of a large explosion outside the walls of the holy building. Not long after, the doors slid open ever so slowly, boot-clad footsteps advancing. The time of judgement was finally at hand. There was no sense in looking back. He felt those eyes of green, sharpened like daggers, stabbing into his back. Miss Devens, Drei, the third Phantom, had arrived.

"I'm the only one here Cal. There isn't anyone else."

Reji turned to face her, weapon in hand but his darkened eyes surprisingly soft. Deep down, there was a longing, beneath the fear, beneath the pain.

"So, did you come here to settle this?"

Cal's question was blunt, sharp, hateful. It sent a pain across his chest. It was then that Reiji took something of a bold step forward. His expression suddenly became somewhat softer too.

"I came here to put things right, Cal. It's time for me to do something I shoud've too long ago. I've used so many people, and killed countless others, just so I could stay alive."

The young lady couldn't do anything but laugh at his comment. Everything about her was so very dark and unforgiving - a agonizing change to her younger self.

"My God, Reiji. I think I know that already," Cal scoffed with a bitter scowl twisting her lips, "You don't think you've done enough already? Abandoning me, breaking your promises... leaving me after I told you how much I cared?

"Yes, and you have every reason to hate me for it. I'd willingly accept any punishment you throw at me..."

An honest reply, one he couldn't mask despite his exceptional skill in doing so.

A sudden and somewhat evil smirk sudden began to creep onto Cal's face. Fury burned in her eyes, and in an unexpected bout of aggression, she drew her Pistol.

Yet deep down Reiji was sure he saw something. A softness, a glimer, if only for a second, of the warmth he once knew her for.

"I have a way we can finish this," Miss Devens whispered, shakily producing a familiar silver timepiece from her jacket pocket.

The sight of this beautifully crafted pocket watch froze Reiji to the core a short gasp of surprise slipping free."So you still have that, huh?"

Cal was only made to smile even more when his reaction became obvious to her, " Of course... Nice to see you remember your gift to me. Well then Reiji… Here's my game... let's finish this..."

With a slight press of her thumb, a short click' resounded, the tiny sound bouncing off the wide, stone walls. The front of the watch opened to display an elegant clock face. The watch was resting in her palm, Cal put back the gun she'd brought with her, slipping it within the holster at her hip.

"This watch has helped me so much. It's always shown me the perfect moment to land the finishing blow. Now, listen. When the song ends... draw your gun... and we'll see which one of us, which Phantom left standing."

Those words made Reiji twist with pure anguish. It was agony hearing her say those words.

Silence, broke only by the melody of the watch as it started to play. Its tune, so soothing, almost as if it was capable of curing the pain of one's very soul, seemed to go on forever. Reiji couldn't help but think back to the past, all the time they'd spent together, and most importantly, the fragile but beautiful moments of peace they shared.  
_

If things hadn't come to this they could have been happy so long ago. Fate had drawn them both together on the night that Judy died. Their lives were entwined from that point onward. Reiji was a ghost with no way back to the world he once knew and loved. Cal was so very alone, with no one and nothing to call her own. These two lost souls were destined to find one another. Together, they could finally have the warmth and happiness they both deserved, if only Reiji spoke the words within the depths of his heart.

Reiji snapped back to reality, tears rolling down his eyes of hauntingly heartfelt brown. "Cal... stop..."

His words brought a short, surprised gasp from the lips of his green-eyed nemesis, the former love he'd held so close. Her hand shuddering, she took a slight step back.

"Wait," Reiji continued with a flare of desperation to his voice, "We don't have to do this…. Cal... After all this time I didn't have a clue you were still alive... That night when the apartment went up in flames I thought... I thought you were gone."

The young lady shuddered in response to his words, taking yet another step back, and another. The pistol left the holster, now gripped in one of her shuddering hands. "Then why didn't- Why did it have to come to this? Why didin't you help me?"

Cal froze like a statue, her finger poised to pull the trigger. "I loved you... I loved you and you left me. It's not fair... Two years without you... and now this? If I can't be happy in real life, can't I at least dream about it sometimes?"

A single tear fell from the eye of Inferno's third Phantom as her cracked, broken vocal chords struggled.

Reiji was taken aback by such a truly sad question. This didn't have to be the end for either of them. Not tonight, and not in this church. Reiji took the gun from its place of rest within the holster, tossing it to the floor.

The sound of the weapon hitting the stone floor echoed across the whole church. The young Asian man closed on the quiet, tearful blond "Cal... This doesn't have to be a dream... It isn't too late for us to be free... That's why I came back. From the moment I knew you were alive again, I had a promise to keep to you.."

Cal breathed hard, a watery sob flooding out as she dropped her pistol to the floor with a dull _thump_. "That's what all this was about? Why you called me here? You were... trying to bring me back?"

"Yes... and now more than ever I understand," Mr Azuma took the final step forward, closing their gap, their two year divide, for what he hoped would be forever. "We don't need to throw our lives away over this! All this time we've both wanted the same thing... to be together forever, even if we're against the world... like we promised."

Cal smiled through the tears, bringing her head to rest upon his shoulder. "That night… Two years ago. You held me in your arms… You said I was the key to you being happy again... You still mean it, don't you?"

The facade of Reiji, the assassin, crumbled away, leaving Reiji Azuma, free of his chains, to answer sincerely. With a short nod, he began to piece together the words within his scattered thoughts, "Of course I do... From that moment we first embraced, the thought of my life without you was nothing but emptiness. You saved me... You showed me there's still a way back..."

Cal's dried her eyes, moving on automatic it seemed, her arms wrapping themselves around the young man stood by the altar, "The anger consumed me… I was such a fool... You never stopped waiting for me, did you Reiji?"

He cuddled closer to the girl he'd so dearly missed, running a loving hand through her silky smooth hair, "When I thought I'd lost you, my heart stopped beating... The thought of you being inside that burning apartment... It tore me apart, Cal."

Finally, after so long of living in torment, Reiji felt the faintest flicker of hope - the hope of two lost souls uniting as one.

"Reiji," Cal whispered, bringing her soft hand to rest upon his cheek.

Such comfort was enough to shatter the steel shell a around the emotions, finally allowing the tears of Azuma Reiji to roll free.

As the two gazed into one another through tear drenched eyes, their lips met in a loving kiss. Such a feeling of honest, genuine warmth, of an innocence so pure, was enough to bring Reiji's heart, usually so stoic in its beats, to race in elation.

As they parted, the second Phantom was sure of one thing. From that moment on, however long or short their lives would be, they would be side by side. He wouldn't run any longer.

"Whatever happens now, we'll always have each other, Cal Devens... I'll end anybody that tries to take you from me again..."

"Together forever, Reiji."

* * *

No matter what the obstacle, be it Shiga's men or Inferno, nothing would stop the two fallen Phantoms. When the two finally parted from their embrace, Cal turned, giving a nervous glance in the direction the church door. "I bet Shiga's men are waiting for us outside by now..."

Reiji picked up his Pistol, gripping the weapon in his right hand, "Of course... but it doesn't matter... We'll face them together."

As the pair reached the door, Cal grabbed Reiji's free hand and linked it with her own. With warm intent, she caressed the hand of the Japanese man with her soft fingers. This sudden movement brought him to turn, his expression softening slightly.

Cal of course, didn't ease off with her compassion for a moment, her eyes pleading with him, begging to let her speak "If we don't get through this I just want you to know that... I'm thankful that I met you, Reiji."

There were so many things screaming out inside, so many things to say, "I wouldn't b-"

Cal released his hand, bringing a soft finger to cover his lips. The chuckle that followed was soft, playfully sadistic, a thing of true beauty, "Don't say a word..."

Reiji could do little more than nod. He knew her too well. Turning, he placed his hand against the door.

"Three, two... one."

With one mighty shove of his right arm, the church door swung open. Outside, an circle of men in sunglasses, clad in black and armed to the teeth, surrounded the entire building.

"This is it," Cal smiled, bittersweet and beautiful, "Together... until the very end..."

 **To be continued...  
**

* * *

 **Thank you for taking the time to read this first chapter through until the end? Did you enjoy it? Is there anything you'd like to see in future. You're more than welcome to leave some feedback and share your thoughts.  
**

 **Until next time, keep supporting Phantom of Inferno and Phantom Requiem. I'll see you in the next chapter.**


	2. Sole Survivor

**Thanks for coming back to read more. I hope you enjoy this next chapter. It's largely inspired by a band named Dir En Grey, and their song, Tousei. I'd certainly recommend giving it a listen as you read this, especially if you like Japanese music.  
**

 **Now then, let's begin!**

* * *

 **Sole Survivor**

 _The wind blew but nobody answered. There was stillness here; stillness eternal without a saviour. After all was said and done, there was nothing but death in this cold and unforgiving place. The others were all gone. One at a time their flames flickered out and joined the afterlife. Was there a land beyond this one for those who lived no longer? It was a human instinct to fear death, after all._

 _The midnight moonlight washed over the scenery of a battered churchyard. Crows circled, swooping in to pick at at those that moved no longer. They eat their fill, bringing the tragically beautiful the circle of life to its natural end. Those who no longer existed were nought but flesh, after all, a macabre darkness, but one of simple truth._

 _Scythe's twisted aria of survival, his chaotic game of life and death, it all came to an abrupt and climactic end. He too, lay sprawled upon the cold grounds of the old churchyard, surrounded by both his beautiful puppets and countless men of the Yakuza. Almost all of the Goto henchmen were dead, save a wounded Shiga. The two Phantoms, Zwei and Drei had claimed so many lives in the name of their survival.  
_

* * *

Reiji sighed in frightfully calm recollection of the night's events. Beside him in the hotwired car was Miss Cal Devens. She lay back in the leather seats of their stolen vehicle, spent and exhausted from their long battle. They'd made it. Somehow, they'd survived the odds and defied not just Scythe, not just the Goto Family, but Inferno, too.

She breathed heavily, bringing her tired eyes of green to gaze toward the clouded moon, "You better punch it Reiji. It won't be long until the cops get here…."

"Right," Zwei came back abruptly, firing up the engine of the crimson convertible with the bluish spark of wires.

Deep low growls roared from the engine. The Phantom applied pressure to the gas in all of his haste, sending their vehicle screeching off into the darkest distance of the night. Behind them, they left a graveyard, both figuratively and literally.

On the open road, wind blowing through her long, blond hair, Cal gave a gentle smile, watching with faint glee as the clouds parted, revealing a beautiful, glittering night sky.

"We did it... We made it outta there... but where do we go next?"

Reiji, fixated upon the road, batted an eye in her direction, just long enough to take note of her question.

"Mexico," he spoke softly, fingers tightening around the steering wheel. "It's the one place Inferno will struggle to find us... There's a small town now too far south of the boarder. Santa Medella... We'll go there."

A good idea, sure, but one that didn't exactly solve the biggest problem. She feared to ask the lone question bouncing around her mind, but knew that in the end there was no choice.

"What about McGuire? As long as we're alive he'll keep sending people our way..."

Smiling, cool and contented, the church long since lost to the distance, Mister Azuma eased off the peddle, pulling to a howling stop at the roadside. The expression upon his face, so strong and determined, was enough to make Cal, Inferno's third disgraced Phantom, give a soft gasp of surprise.

"Don't worry about that for now... When the time's right... he'll get what's coming to him... _trust me_."

Unclasping his seatbelt, leaning across, suave and flawless as always, he placed an arm around Cal's waist, the sensation being enough to make her fragile heart thunder.

"The most important thing right now is getting to Mexico, together..."

Those words were like music to her ears. Surrendering to her feelings, uncaring of her fears, Cal hugged him back, a smile of truest compassion curving her beautiful pinkish lips.

"I like the sound of that..."

* * *

Broken Phantom masks; six girls; the empty casings of bullets, they were all signals of the end of a legacy. The Zahlenschwestern; the left hand of Master Scythe, none of them had the heart nor the strength to stand against the demons, Zwei and Drei. They laid cold on the harshness of the ground, their fragile feminine forms as sponges for bullets and blades.

Only two remained in the mortal world at this point; the seventh and the ninth; Sieben and Neun.

The elder of the two, dark hair bloodied and brown eyes quivering, lay stabbed upon the alter of the Lord. Ruby liquid seeped forth from her chest as an icy numbness slowly overtook her failing body. She let out a tiny whimper, fingers outstretched, her blurry chestnut eyes fixated with all she had upon the statue of Christ. His Lordship stared back at her it seemed, soft and welcoming even in the final moments. How ironic that she, an assassin would meet her end within the house of God.

"Master Scythe," the final words the seventh Phantom uttered.

In a single, overwhelming moment, her body, awash with a pain, became too heavy to move.

The heart within her tired chest thumped in one vibrantly dark final requiem, accompanied by a single fragile breath.

* * *

Neun, she was the final candle left flickering in the wind. Yet, at the same time, her light was so very dim. Two bullets remained punched in her petite chest, her lungs struggling to function under the purest of discomfort. Blood of the darkest red oozed from her mouth, staining her chin as she fought to keep her eyes open.

Struggling to stand upright, a burning fire flooding her torso, she wobbled through the courtyard, slumping against the door of a car as her legs finally gave out, eyes fixated upon her reflection, taking in the sight of her icy sapphire eyes and pale sky blue hair.

She had to think about something, anything to keep her mind ticking over, to stop her body, already so battered and broken, from giving in.

She knew not her real name. She remembered not who she was before the day her eyes opened before Master Scythe.

The perfect killer she may have been, but there was no denying the screaming, god-awful spectre, alive and well within the depths of her soul.

Fear.

Fear of dying, fear of vanishing once and for all, an uncontrollable terror held toward the idea of fading from this world in such a way.

So, with all her might she kept on fighting. Slowly but surely she crawled, leaving a warm, stinging trail of red behind her, toward one of the bullet riddled vehicles of the Yakuza men. With all her heart, the Ninth number clutched with jittering fingertips around the car door, breathing with every last shred of strength.

"Someone... anyone... I'm right here..."

Her voice was weak, cracked, almost broken, and her breathing even weaker.

Distortions, haunting and ghostly overtook everything, stealing away Nuen's sound and sight in a loud snap. It hurt so much to even think. Her lungs, they weren't taking in the air any longer.

"I don't," she wheezed, faint and tiny in a sea of darkness, "I don't want to... disappear..."

Voices, small and glassy, tore through the eerie silence all around her. Footsteps thumped, quiet at first but quickly increasing in pace.

"This one is still alive…. We'll take her with us. She will still serve a purpose to our plans," A man spoke with a refined softness, the sensation of two fingers pressing against the girl's neck. A pulse. He was checking for a pulse.

"Yes, Mister McGuire."

Two voices - a man and a woman, both very different and distinct. They were the last things Nuen heard.

Finally, after struggling against the tide, she felt her body stiffen, washed away by raging waters.

* * *

Alas, Neun was in the hands of fate for a second time. In a parked white medical vehicle on the roadside, men in surgical attire prodded at her fragile form with metal. The girl's body was meant to be a masterpiece in the eyes of her former master, Scythe. However, in the hands of McGuire she would be given no such grandiose treatment.

White-gowned surgeons picked the bullets from her body with tweezers as she lay under the foggy haze of anaesthetic. With the pieces of lead that threatened her life gone, the head of the medical staff sealed the girl shut with the most gruesome of surgical stitches, something which was much to the effect of precise and careful timing. There was nothing beautiful about this operation.

"You have done well... Deliver the girl to my office."

The leader of Inferno, McGuire, he wanted a weapon that was alive and functional, not a work of art that took more time to repair. The life of Neun had been spared, unlike those of her sisters before her. It came at the cost of her flawless perfection.

In truth, this was something he wanted. It would serve as a reminder of the stillness of death reaching out for her. That way, she'd remain loyal.

"Nuen... the last of Scythe's weapons... She'll be somewhat useful to me."

* * *

Blue eyes opened to a blur. Neun breathed hard, her vision refusing to focus. A pain in the back of her skull jarred the senses even further.

"Ouch, my head," she cried softly, holding her temple with a weak left hand. Everything in the room spun from side to side.

Slowly but surely things began to stabilize one step at a time. First, her eyesight returned to some sense of normality, her ears following next as she took note of a loudly ticking clock. Those two factors together served to make the bulk of her dizziness go away.

One question prevailed above all others. "Where am I?"

The young girl did not recognize the closest surroundings. She lay upon a leather couch in a small Japanese style penthouse. Traditional scrolls hung from the walls along with festive decorations - all of which came together with dim yet fancy lighting. Laminate floors remained beneath the feet of Neun, to which she scoffed slightly.

Footsteps, light at first, pattered across the room. The eyes of the assassin moved swiftly to follow the source, and upon doing so they locked upon a potential target. A tall man with a stern and simple expression stood before her. His hair appeared to be light grey in shade and exceedingly feminine in both the length and style. This gentleman was neither bulky, nor entirely thin, a perfect balance. His pale complexion stood in contrast to his powerful green eyes, and finally, he wore an elegant yet sharp two piece suit with a long coat over the top.

"My name is McGuire," he spoke quietly, arms dropped at the sides, "I have something for you…."

With a snap of the gentleman's fingers, two men clad in suits entered the room. They moved both quickly and efficiently to stand at the side of McGuire. They remained in place, unflinching like gargoyles. Neun eyed them both. One of the men held in his hand a pistol, while the other held between his forefinger and thumb what resembled a pair of polaroid photographs.

With another authorative snap of McGuire's fingers, each of these items were placed in Nuen's lap with a respectful bow.

"Please look at both of these pictures," McGuire instructed, his tone of authority all too clear. "They should provide all the information you need."

The young lady nodded in confusion. Her slender fingers flipped over both of the face down, eyes of blue narrowing as to get a good look at them. It was then and there, that her face twisted with a rare showing of emotion. A light gasp escaped her lips.

Master Scythe! In this image he was cold and dead; a bullet lodged between the eyes, a disturbingly content smile curving his lips as he lay there adorned in the prized the Phantom of the Opera mask he so often wore.

"Your master is dead, Neun," McGuire spoke abruptly, "Now, please take a look at the other picture."

A pang of fear coursed through the veins of the young Phantom. Her fingers inched ever so slowly toward the second picture. They hovered over it for a brief moment, and after a nod of confirmation to herself the blue-haired girl turned it over.

Headaches pulsed through the brain, dull and unforgiving. The very sight of the photograph causing her skull to ache.

A young man in a sharp suit. He appeared to be getting into a car, and beside him was a young lady in a motorcycle outfit.

An icy chill to coursed through Nuen's veins, her pale, slender fingers squeezing around and crushing the image.

"Zwei and Drei. They are responsible for the murder of your master, Neun."

McGure paused, watching closely as the all too unforgiving truth sunk in. "Our sources say they have left the country and how hide somewhere in Mexico."

"The man, Zwei…." Neun uttered under her breath. A painful flashback tore through her mind at the mention of his name. It was vague. The emotionless expression of his face along with the gun he pointed at her - these two memories played over and over, quickening until finally, in a bright flash, the female killer flinched

"He was... the one who tried to kill me..."

As if by instinct, flames burned within the usually cool aura of the female assassin. Without even thinking, Scythe's last surviving masterpiece gripped the gun in her lap tightly. Her gaze bore an intensity like no other. The image of Zwei kept flashing through her mind.

McGuire, seemed to be smiling at her reaction, "In exchange for your life, Neun, I will give you the Phantom, Zwei. When the time is right, his life will be yours."

Swinging his arms outward in a grand gesture, the handsome ruler of Inferno continued, an almost seductive temptation to his voice."Swear loyalty to me, Neun, and in return, the closure you seek... will be yours."

McGuire's offer was weighty, yet tempting in its own right. The eyes of Neun shone bright.

She'd have her chance to kill the man that almost ended her life in that old churchyard? More importantly, she'd be able to avenge the life of her dearly departed master.

There was no doubt in her mind, "Yes, Master McGuire…. My skills are yours to command."

McGuire nodded, taking a step back and reaching for a glass of wine from the table behind. "Very well, Neun. I hereby declare you, the _final_ Phantom of Inferno…."

No matter what it took, no matter the cost, she'd bring an end to Zwei.

"I thank you, Master McGuire."

 **To be continued...  
**

* * *

 **Another chapter has come to a close. What did you think? Is there anything you'd like to see in future? You're more than welcome to leave some feedback if you like. I'm always happy to hear from my readers.**

 **As always, keep on supporting Phanton Requiem and Phantom of Inferno! I'll see you in the next part!**


	3. Wrath of the Phantom

**It's time for another part of Aria Finale. I wanted there to be more of a focus on action with this one. Also, keep in mind that in a couple of chapters time there's a good chance that the rating will increase due to voilence and romance. It is Phantom, after all.  
**

 **Now then, let's get started!**

* * *

 **Wrath of the Phantom**

 _The City of Angels. A towering skyscraper stood in all of its grandeur as one of the mightiest buildings in the concrete jungle - a behemoth of glass and metal with great meaning. It symbolized the power of Inferno. This city belonged to McGuire and his men, and the Columbian lord wanted all the other families of the underworld to know it._

 _His organization was exclusive. Those who refused an invitation were destroyed. There was nothing more to it than that. Countless mafia families had already fallen during his brutal expansion across America's crime syndicates. In truth, his tale was a somewhat twisted version of the fabled American Dream. McGuire had come to this country ten years ago, a Columbian immigrant in his early twenties, with nothing to his name. He now stood as the most powerful crime boss in the entire country._

 _For all intents and purposes, he could not be touched, and that was exactly the way he liked it. Those who were loyal were granted rewards. Those who betrayed him suffered some of the harshest consequences. Scythe's former Phantoms remained on the run in Mexico, but it mattered not. Soon, they would be dead._

* * *

McGuire sat all too calmly within the VIP room right now, a glass of red wine held within his pale hand. It was a night of reflection, one of relaxation amidst an endless sea of business deals.

A gentleman in a suit entered, the doors swinging shut behind as he stood tall, giving a loyal salute before removing his sunglasses, "Mr McGuire, sir…. It has been done, as you requested. We arranged the false meeting, and it would seem that Phantom was seen taking the bait. We have tracked his location to Mexico City... It is only a matter of time before we find out where Zwei and Drei are hiding..."

At last, the glory of victory. McGuire took a moment to absorb the ambient bliss of another fallen enemy, the sweet sound of the violinist echoing throughout his penthouse suite.

"Fantastic, Sabastian. Have my security detail prepped. I wish to go downstairs and share this fantastic news with some of our associates."

The meddlesome remnants of Scythe's influence would soon be gone forever. Total control was within sight. There was simply nothing left to challenge Inferno's hold over the country's darker dealings. With that same thought in mind, pulled himself up from the couch upon which he sat, prepared for departure.

Bodyguards clad in black suits entered the room and flanked him with flawless efficiency- a dozen of them, each one brandishing heavy weaponry.

* * *

Another day slipped past. Yet another victim of the sands of time. "I'm done with running away."

Months did not change a thing. Reiji grew tired of Inferno hunting him and the woman he loved while they hid away like dogs.

Alas, Zwei let a sigh escape, his lips twisting into a cool smile as he drew a pistol from the holster at his hip, "You bastards are finally going to learn the meaning of payback..."

His eyes fixed upon a pair of guards at entrance of the massive building of concrete and glass. They stood with cautious eagle-like eyes, gripping their sub machineguns. It was all quiet right now. That would soon change.

One of the muscular guards turned to the other and chuckled, "Hey! Abel," He continued with a scoff, "You think the boss is gonna give us a pay rise sometime soon, huh?"

The other fired up what must've been his forth cigarette, holding it in the corner of his mouth lazily, looking over with a cold smile before taking a drag, "Your guess is as good as mine. I mean, shit… McGuire's guys are supposed to be loaded, right?"

The sound of a trash can falling echoed not far off in the distance. Both men, jumpy as they were, squeezed their weapons tightly and looked off into the night. Their collective breathing became slower heavier.

"Must've been a cat or something..."

Now was the perfect moment to strike. With flawless timing, Reiji pulled a knife from the pocket of his long coat, still obscured far from sight and mind.

The less twitchy of the guarding duo let out a sigh of relief, shaking his head. "I'm too damn jumpy…. Hey, Abel, you got a smoke?"

"Yeah, man. Give me a sec... got one left... You owe me wh-"

From the shadows, the Phantom threw his blades, watching painstakingly as the guard to the left, still halfway through speaking, let out a low, pained gurgle before falling silent, nailed to the wall in a spraying sea of red.

"OH SHIT! DAMMIT!" His comrade turned back, eyes widened in absolute terror, hands shuddering as he brought his weapon to bare. "I ain't screwing around! If someone's out there you better show yourself!"

The wind blew with vicious intent. Zwei moved again, perfect and deadly, pulling a pair of grenades from the pocket of his coat.

A violently gleeful chuckle echoed from his lips, his feet landing perfectly upon a lower adjacent building, the roof of a dingy, neon lit bar.

Yet there the lone guard remained, rooted in place, floundering in fear. His eyes widened at the sight of the two special gifts Zwei had placed at his feet, the pins pulled. Three, two, one.

"Oh shi-"

 ***KABOOM!***

A grandiose explosion of elegant orange flames tore through the outside air. The sheer force punched out the doorway - all while the colossal power behind the blast showered the lobby in a spray of jagged glass.

"That deals with the door..."

As silent as death, Zwei slipped inside.

* * *

Lo and behold, the windows lay shattered and broken, sharpened shards littering the ground. The entrance to the ground floor lobby sat engulfed in a sea of burning crimson. For but a mere moment there was silence, until an ear-splitting alarm bell screamed out. More suit clad goons came rushing from the rooms connecting to the lobby. They shouted orders back and forth in a disorganized mess; their weapons pointed in every direction imaginable.

There was no lighting left around the ground floor area. Perfect.

The nervous guards kept their eyes trained both left and right as they hoped to catch sight of an attacker. It wouldn't do them any good.

"I'm done with this shit!" One of them barked, moving closer to inspect the flames, "Let's find whoever did this and take them out..."

They were breaking away, disorganized, scared. Reiji smiled from behind his mask. It would only make them easier targets.

"You see anything over there Jackson?" Another suit-clad called out, moving closer to stand at his side. "The boss is gonna want a report on this."

Ready to unleash Hell, Reji pulled yet another handful of blades, this time from the belt at his waist, tossing them into the crowd.

Time seemed to slow as terror took hold in an instant. Thugs hit the floor left and right; each one of them impaled by pristinely sharpened steel, blood spattering across the walls in elegent crimson torrents.

"KILL THIS BASTARD! Kill him!"

The guards began yelling, any hope of organization long since cast into the wide, gaping mouth of oblivion.

Gunfire tore through the lobby, bullets sprayed the walls, and windowpanes alike, but hitting absolutely nothing in chaos that took hold. One by one the weapons, pistol, automatic and shotgun alike, clicked empty, signalling for a nervous reloading spree to begin.

Now was the time to reveal himself. Zwei readied himself, dropping with a low grunt from the sturdy reception roof rafters in a moment of perfect acrobatic skill.

"What in the hell?"

He took the role of an an illusion; a shadow that reared its ghostly head in the midst of the carnage.

There he stood, bold and emotionless, clad in the guise of the Phantom of The Opera, a pristine white ballroom mask obscuring his face, and an elegant black cloak covering his toned body. In his gloved left hand the Phantom held an, a large serrated knife of a haunting silvery shine. Five against one? These odds were just fine.

Every man in his sight shuddered, and as fresh clips were slapped into weapons, and shells slammed into chambers, weapons began raining carnage anew.

Zwei cared not, however - vanishing in a blur of incredible speed as his survival instincts took hold, leaving the cloak behind, floating devilishly toward the ground.

A wisp of inhuman swift swept through the room, a horrifying black aura left in his wake. One slash, two slashes, three, four, five. One by one, the guards were touched by the distorted shadow of doom, each falling to the ground like dominos in a single beat of the human heart. Perfect slice marks split their necks wide, darkened seas of crimson oozing beneath them. The room fell silent silent - not a single defence remained against vengeance so pure in form.

The Phantom stood as a stone statue. Every single surveillance camera in the room focused with magnified lenses. Slowly, he reached with one of his gloved white hands, gripping the ballroom mask and ripping it free.

With cold, dead eyes, he brought his gaze toward one of the cameras. A terrifying aura of black pulsed from his form.

Body motionless, he allowed his lips to curve into a smile of sadistic glee, "You took our lives away…. You almost turned the woman I love against me…."

Those words were all he spoke for the moment. Slowly, Zwei produced a pistol from the holster at his hip. "Your days are numbered. Rest assured McGuire…. I'm going to take everything from you. Inferno will burn..."

 ***BANG!***

A single shot of the handgun and the camera erupted in a bright flash of sparks.

* * *

From the command centre, McGuire stood tall and unflinching, having watched the ungodly scene unfold. He turned his back to walk away, but found his feet frozen to the ground as screams erupted over the radio system. Chaotic gunfire spilled from channels on the second floor, followed up with a melody of distorted explosions, before finally; connections fell dead in a sea of static.

"HELP! We're under fire... can't see the target!"

"Stay behind the wall... We need covering fire."

"He's aiming for the lights! Shoot him... quickly!"

All the while, McGuire held his hand over his chest - heartbeat thumping painfully. A lump formed in his throat as the cold screams of more dying men rang out, so utterly helpless against the cold, unforgiving hand of demise.

Eventually, he awoke, forced to break free from his fear-induced trance. Still flanked by his half dozen bodyguards, the overlord turned, walking away with a frightened spring in his step. The rooftop helipad wasn't far away.

"We gotta protect the boss! Stop this bastard here!"

It was hard to ignore the mobs of men desperately throwing over tables and ducking behind barricades. McGuire felt it in his gut - somehow, someway, Zwei was going to reach this place, too. The attempts of his underlings wouldn't amount to much.

"Sycthe…. You truly created a monster, didn't you?"

Hollow words. Hollow words that couldn't even begin to pay tribute to such an unstoppable foe. Without Claudia here to keep him under control, Zwei, the second Phantom, was truly a demon in human form.

* * *

Everything was ready for take-off. McGuire remained seated in the back of the helicopter. All the while, he watched as his men spread out all across the heliport. Their weapons, each and every one, remained trained on the doorway that allowed access to the rooftop. Zwei would not be allowed to come any further.

The pilot nodded to himself assuredly before turning, giving his headset a tap, "We're taking off, Mister McGuire. Please ensure that you have your seatbelt fastened."

At that same moment, the doorway leading to the heliport flew off its hinges in a shower of shrapnel.

"He's here! Make sure he doesn't touch McGuire!"

One by one, the peons in suits began blasting. There was no way to know if they were hitting anything, and after an ungodly amount of lead flew, the goon at the front gave the signal to hold fire.

"You see anything? He's gotta be dead by now, right?"

Gunfire came belting back but a moment later, "GET DOWN!"

Bullets tore through the suit-clad goons - one by one their bodies collapsing like so many others before them.

The Phantom sped through the doorway, blood pooled at the heel of his polished shoes for a second nerve-wracking time.

The Helicopter whirled its way upward, the sight of Zwei shrinking as they climbed higher and higher into the air. Airborne now, the pilot made hasty movements to make sure they were out of firing range.

There was still one final trump card. One last thing to slow the Phantom down.

McGuire nodded to himself, producing a cell phone from his pocket. With a collected smile, Inferno's overlord placed the device to his ear, "It is time. Please ensure that our 'guest' is kept busy long enough to ensure my escape. However, be cautious. You must not die on me yet, Nuen."

"Of course, sir."

* * *

Zwei scowled at the sight of that rat McGuire. No way was he going to escape from this trap! No way!

With a cold smirk, the Phantom produced yet another pistol from one of the many holsters at his hip.

Thinking back to the brutal training regimen, he breathed deeply aim was well placed upon the propeller blades of the helicopter, finger apparently upon the trigger and ready to pull. "This is where it ends..."

 ***BANG!***

Reiji looked on in bewilderment as the helicopter slowly drifted away into the distance. No smoke billowed from the barrel of his weapon. In fact, he hadn't even fired a single shot. He stood, frozen still as a sudden wave of pain burned the midsection of his body. Eyes downcast, he saw crimson liquid escaping from his side.

His vision blurred as he took an uneasy step back, very carefully turning around, weapon still raised.

Blue eyes stabbed into him with pure, unrestrained poison. A dozen memories of that fateful night at the chruch flashed through his mind, and in an instant, the red organ within his chest thumped painfually.

"You…. You're one of the numbered sisters, Scythe's _new_ puppets…. How? I shot you... I watched you bleed out..."

Words had never been asked with such caution especially from one with such a steely resolve.

His gaze fixed upon a young woman with long pale-blue hair. She bore a young face that and delicate features, most notably her shining sapphire blue eyes. However, those blue pools of water held hardly any emotion except for a flare of intense determination. The slender young lady wore a long white Chinese dress with a lotus flower stitched most pristinely down one of the sides, and in her hand she held a revolver. Smoke billowed from the barrel ominously as her cold eyes glared into those of Reiji.

Convinced she had the upper hand, the young woman let an insulting chortle slip free before taking two slow paces forward - her white platform shoes clacking across the ground as she went.

"You killed all of my sisters, Reiji Azuma, Zwei... every single one. But I refused to die... not until I had a chance to see your face one last time."

Her words were cold, calculated, and sinister. Flipping back her locks of blue hair, she aimed her weapon between the eyes. "I won't rest until I kill you..."

As moments went by, Reiji couldn't help but think over and over about how unbelievable this situation was.. One was still left. Inferno still had a Phantom of their own.

 _"Impossible..."_

The menacing young woman kicked off her heels, stepping ever closer, gun still gripped tightly in hand, "My name is Neun. I'm the youngest of the Phantom Project... and now I'm the last surviving child of the Numbered Sisters."

Blood, so pure and red, continued to drip from Reiji's wound. With each moment that passed he felt an increasing sickness.

Alas, In one last attempt to escape, he slid forward, trying to tackle the weapon from Neun's hand.

The agile young lady cartwheeled back to evade. However, when she landed and brought her gaze upward again, Reiji was already behind her. Neun spun around in haste, but a blinding flash of light knocked her to the ground.

With the girl out for the count, Reiji was able to breathe a hasty sigh of relief, "It's a good job I brought a flashbang with me."

It was time for Zwei to leave. His plan tonight, was a failure.

Before he left however, there was one last thing to do.

Picking up Nuen's discarded revolver from the floor, he let out a small breath, aiming the weapon at her unconcious form, watching as her chest rose and fell in soft movements.

A pang of guilt tore through his body, especially as he took a closer took at her face.

Inferno's final Phantom. In a single pull of the trigger she'd be gone forever.

Yet for some reason, one that deep down he knew all too well, it was impossible to fire. A lone question spun around in his head time and time again. He thought back to his beloved Miss Devens, a girl whom had also worn the title of Phantom, just like him.

"What if she can be saved? Just like Eren... _just like Cal_?"

Shaking his head, overcome by sentiment and humanity, the Japanese man, usually so hardened to the concept of watching lives end, emptied the bullets from the revolver's chamber, tossing it to the ground with a _thunk_.

"Consider this an act of kindness... Just like I said to Eren all those years ago... We're not just tools... The future is ours to make with our own hands..."

Sirens and service vehicles screamed in the distance. It was time to go.

* * *

With the border of Mexico behind him, Reiji pulled over the car to reflect on the events of the day before. Tiredly, he laid his head back against the seat while listening to the radio. It helped calm his thoughts. If it weren't for music his mind would overload under the pressure.

"Deep down I know I'll regret finishing her off," Reiji sighed exhaustedly, "As long as she's still alive, me and Cal will be running from Inferno even longer... but for some reason I just... couldn't bring myself to do it..."

His cloudy thoughts flashed back to his encounter with the girl on the roof, Neun. That light blue hair, and those ocean blue eyes. They bore the same coldness as Reiji's eyes, and deep down, that scared him. She couldn't have been a day older than Cal, but that clearly didn't make her any less lethal.

 _'Karma nandomo onaji koto no... kurikaeshi no naka o ochiteitte wa.'_

The sound of his past in Japan, "Karma," he sighed, turning up the volume on the radio. "I haven't heard this song in so long..."

Now able to clear his thoughts a little more, Reiji placed his foot on the gas pedal and continued down the road. His vision was a little woozy, but nonetheless, he had to get home.

A light gasp of discomfort escaped as his side bled slightly. "Gotta keep going... need to keep my eyes open. I'll be back soon, Cal... Wait for me, okay?"

 **To be continued...  
**

* * *

 **Thank you for reading this chapter through until the end! Did you enjoy it? Is there anything you'd like to see in future? Feel free to leave some feedback and share your thoughts.  
**

 **As always, keep on supporting Phantom of Inferno and Requiem. I'll see you in the next chapter!**


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